Tool for use in splicing, twisting, and stretching wire



Nov. 16 1926 0 ,9 9-

M. L. FR'INK TOOL FOR USE IN SPLICING, TWISTING, AND STRETCHINGWIRE Filed Dec. 5, 1925. 4

I film/vice:-

MELVIN L. FR/NK.

. flrTORn/EK Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

UMTED STATES? retesteeAren-r oeriee .1

MELVIN L. Faring, on WELLS'I'QN, MISSOURI, AS$IG1 TOR on ONE-HALF TO WALTER J; HOLLIER, ons'r; Louis, MISSOURI.

TOOL FORJUSE INJSPLICING, TWISTING, ANDJSTRETCI-IING App i a i n fi e De emb This invention relates to, a novel tool for; use in twisting, splicing, stretChl lg; and,

otherwise manipulating wire. we p he gener l object ofLthe i enti n s o prov de stool. which may, re ily be appl d to the wire, or to a plurality, of wires,- and, will j enable -the wire to be manipulated in th esired ma ne with grea ci ity and rapidity as compared-w hpresen metho s 'lhe'invent-ion e id s, essentially, n a.- ba

- oimeta "bent to afiordla'rs iank po i n and;

a crank or hand e portion, and havii g in h shank portion, preferably two bayonet slots opening from one s de of the-shan and a sleeve provided on one side with transverse slots slidably: mounted onthe shank, so that the slots therein may bebrought into and out of register with the slots in the shank.

' A sprlng-controlled trigger having; a stud co-operating withopenings in the sleeve is manipulated to permit the movement of; the

sleeve, and then, when releasethto engage one or the other of the openings to holdthe sleeve in its adjusted position. Apin on the shank working in a groove on the sleeve serves to limit the movement; of thelatter.

The nvention s-il ustra ecl n the-acc mpanying draw-ing, in which Figure; l is aview, partly 1n section and partly in elevation of my improved tool;

* Figure 2 is a plan view on a smaller; scale 7 showing the tool inthe-position it occupies inready to, betwistetl abou afe ce p ling- Referring to the drawing, thenumeral- 1 indicates a round bar forming what vI have.

termed the shankof my tool and being bent atone end at right. angles. to form acrank 2, which crankv p0rti0n,,atits outer. end, is

again bent outwardly at'right; angles to provide .al handle, 3. The shank 1 is. provided on What-may be termed its upper side with twotransver e y disposed lots 4 and .5, which cut through abou h lf th diam ter of th hank, and at their; lower ends, ha longitudinal extensions 6, which are preferablyv directed outwardly or toward the free 5, 1925 Serial No, 73,335.

end of the shank; Slidably mounted onthis shank is a sleeve? which is provided with bayoneteshapedfslots Sand 9, corresponding. in shape anddimensions tothe slots 4 and 5',

h wn y the, dotted. ine n g re the recess 10 serves to throw the arm 13'and stud 1 4v upward to engage in one or the, other of said openings whenever the trigger 12 is released. Secured onthe shank 1 is a pin l9-which engagesin aslot-QO provided neaiztheouter end or the sleeve 7 whereby the movement of the sleeve on. the shankin either di i is m.ited-.- 1

'SViththe' parts, in" the position shown in Figure 1, to apply the tool to a wire, the gger l2w ll bep'u ledto o er he Stud 1 u -1' o ng ge en th th Opening .6,-

il he sleev'e 7 is then pushed backward, or

towa d tl1 ran por 0ntol ringth o s 8 and9 therein intogregister with the slots e. and 5. If; oneendof a wirestrand is to be wrapped around thestrand, or another strand; asuin splicing, such end of the wire is; inserted through. one or the other of the slo s- 8. or d pa s d into h e si of. one or the other of the slots d or 5. When the sleeve 7 is pushed back to bring the slots therein; into register with the slots in the shank, the: trigger is released, and the stud 1 engages n the Open g; 5- W th h wire inserted as described above, the trigger s again pulled to remove the stud 141-v from the opening 15 and the sleeve isthen pushed I forwardly to the position shown in Figure Lsothat the sleeve-covers the slots 4 and 5', the trigger 1 2 isreleased, and the stud "1,4 again engages in. the opening 15 as shown, This may be the position of the parts asshown in Figure 2, in which the end'2l. off a wire 22 is shown being wrapped about a wire 23 to iornra' spliee 24. In wrapping the end of the wire about the strand, the operator grasps thecrank portion 2 or the handle portion 3, whichever is most convenient, and rotates the implement about the wire 23, which causes the end portion 21. to be wrapped about this wire, as shown. In

stretching a wire strand, the end portion of.

thewire is inserted in the tool in the manner previously described; the latter is placed against the far side of a post 25, as shown by Figure 3, and by grasping the handle 3, the tool is turned to wrap the wire about the sleeve 7 until the wire indicated by 26, is stretched su. .cientlyj taut. A staple 27, which may previously have been placed over the wire and partly driven into the post 25, is then driven home to hold the wire in its stretched condition.

In the use of the tool in twisting wires about a paling in constructing a fence, the two wires 28, 29 (Figure. to be twisted are inserted in the slots 4 and 5 in the manner previously described, and the sleeve 7 moved to the position shown in Figure'l, which, of

course, acts to retain the wires in the slots of the shank. The tool is then rotated in either direction in a plane parallel with the paling to twist/the wires about the same, and at a pointsuitably removed from the paling 30, a new paling is inserted between the wires and the implement turned in the reverse direction to twist the wires about the inserted paling. By turning the tool alternately in difierent directions, the wires 28 and 29 which, of course, are on spools, are prevented from being twisted together; or rather, they are twisted together in one operation and untwisted in the next. The wires are usually twisted about the palings at two or more points thereon, and one of these twists is located on the paling 30 at 31.

My improved tool greatly facilitates the operation ofsplicing, especially in its use with telegraph and telephone wires. For this purpose, it is customary to use pliers, and the operator has first to grasp the end of the wire with the pliers and wrap it about the strand as far as he can in one movement or the arm, and then release it. He then engages the end of the wire with the pliers from another position relative to the strand and again wraps the wire about the strand as far as he can in one movement, and continues this operation until the wrapping is finished. Frequently, this operation also necessitates transferring the pliers from one hand to the other, and, under any circumstances, the operation requires considerable time. With my improved tool, with the wire engaged in one of the slots, the tool is simply continuously rotated about the wire strand until the wrapping is completed; and although it may be necessary to transfer the tool from one hand to the. other, this involves practically no extra time, as the wire cannot slip out or the tool and the required motion or the hands 1s a perfectly natural one and easily performed. Furthermore, as strand about which the end of the wire is being wrapped forms a purchase for the tool in turning, itfollows that the wire will be wrapped firmly about the strand, as it is continuously pulled into engagement therewith as it is being wrapped. As the leverage aiiiorded is very great, this involves practically no appreciable amount of energy on the partof the operator. of pliers, the wire must be pulled inorder to be -wrapped tight, and with relatively thick wire and a relatively long splice, the operation is ot a more or less laborious nature, requiring the exercise of considerable strength on the part of the operator.

The ease with which a wire fence strand may be stretched in the manner illustrated in Figure 3,.or two wires twisted about a paling in the manner illustrated'in' Figure 4, will be at once apparent, and the advantages possessed by the tool in its use in these operations are as equally pronounced as in the case of its use in splicing wire.

I claim: a

1. A tool of the class described, comprising a bar affording a shank and a handle portion and provided in the shank with a transverse wire-receiving slot, a sleeve slidablymounted on the shank and provided with a wire-receiving slot corresponding to that of the shank, said sleeve being movable With the use.

the

longitudinally over the shank to bring the slots into and out of register.

2. A tool of the class described, comprising a bar affording a shank and a handle portion and provided intheshank with a bayonet slot, a sleeve slidablymountedon the shank and provided' with a corresponding slot, said sleeve being movable over the shank to bring said slots into and-out of register, and'means'for limiting the movement of the sleeve in either direction.

3. A tool of the class described, comprising a bar affording a shank and a handle portion and provided in the shank portion with a plurality of bayonet slots, a sleeve slidably mounted on the shank and provided with slots corresponding to those of the shank, said sleeve being movableto bring saidslots into and out of register, and manually-operated means mounted on the shank and adapted to engage said sleeve to hold it in either of its two positions.

4,. A tool of the class described, comprising a bar afiording a shank and a handle portion and provided in the shank portion w1th a plurality of bayonet'slots, a. sleeve slidably mounted on the shank and provided with slots corresponding to those of the shank and with two openings, said sleeve bemg movable in opposite directions over the shank to bring the slots into and out of register, and a trigger mounted on the shank and having a projection for engaging in one portion and provided in the shank portion with a plurality of bayonet slots, a sleeve slidably mounted on the shank and provided with slots corresponding to those of the shank and With two openings, said sleeve be- 10 ing movable in opposite directions over the shank to bring the slots into and out of register, a trigger mounted on the shank and having a projection for engaging in one or the other of said openings to hold the sleeve in either of its two positions, and means for limiting the movement of the sleeve in either direction.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

MELVIN L. FRINK. 

